Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-10-10
mo, hain't hcun nothin' from Little Dick


spec to see him no more. Five boys have
sent to the war, an one POI lifeless creetur is
all I've got left; but, oh, mustn't forgit to
tell ye. Mack got that ball out'n his thigh to-
day, jes KEEP awurkin' an agourin' at it, tell
it drapped out do b'lieve the child's agwine
TO git well arter all
And then she resumed her weary tramp
through the woods, Mack and Betty man
aged to get along somehow, and the good old
mother seemed to be insensible to fatigue.
So it came about that when the broken frag-
ments of Lees brave legions came struggling
homeward that Mack was able 20 hobble out
on his clutches, and lean on the rickety gate
and hear the news from some tired veteran
homeward bound.
"The last | seed NV Inn said a great,
bearded warrior, in reply to Aunt 'Mma's
question, Iwus in one o them fights around
Atlanty. We was whipped us we ein'ly was
long then, an broke for fence. LATHE Dick
got 10 the fence an we hollered TO i'm TO
throw down his musket, but he belt ON TO it
| reckon he WIS too skeered to un'stan. Any
how he jes' KEEP holt on it, an wen he clumb
up on the fence rail gave way, an he fell
backward, and then the Yankees fired so fast
a'terward, an we lost him"
The little crop was planted, and tho two
women worked faithfully, AMI Mack hobbed
about on his crutches and helped them all he
could. Spring was come when the warclosed.
Summer days had waxed and waned before
many of these inmates of northern prisons
found their way back to the old familiar
haunts.
The harvest was not great, but Aunt Nina
and Betty felt that the millennium had come
when they were able to sit down and eat a
reasonably hearty meal of bread aud bacon,
after the wintery sun had yelled himself be-
hind the riffs of waterY clouds that hung above
the tree tops. The long, long, war was over
The shrill cry Of the famished dogs of war no
longer carried terror among the hearts of
these simple, out of the world folks hidden
away among the harrens.
Many time and oft they conversed to-
gether, and the grieving mother mouined her
dead boys
II can bear the loss of Eben an Riley an
Hamp, because I've got use to it, she would
say. But my baby boy Poor little Dick
l know the rest aire dead and gone, but
don't know wher' Dick is"
Christmas came. never shall forget that
Christmas time shall ever remember how
the poor, fool negroes strutted and paraded,
and fired the old muskets, and had BIZ time.
Cause you see, sab, de bottom rails got on de
top O the fence" they would say. And the
soldiers who had missed three or four Christ
masses entered into the enjoyment of this
with renewed energy
Christmas eve | was at Aunt 'Mima's house.
l liked to be with them and hear Mack tell
about the Shenandoah valley and Stonewal
Jackson and all his fund of adventure and
perilous escape, and mighty victories and
crushing defeats
Aunt Nina sat in the corner busy with her
knitting. Betty was popping some red pop
corn over the fire, and Mack sat half in
shadow, saving away on his fathers old fiddle
the only piece of personal property the old
man left to his sons
Aunt Nina had been buried in thought,
and was a little startled when she spoke so
suddenly
"Children, wouldn't you all he glad if Little
Dick would come home2 for it seems to me
that I'd be riconciled to all the rest eff he
would ies' come home That's all ask of the
good Lord Jes' to see my baby boy again"
Then your wish is granted, came voice
from the door, "fOr your boys come home"
and in another breath Little Dick was clasped
in the arms of mother and sister
shall not attempt 10 describe the scene |
will leave ali that to the facile pen of the
emotional novelist who has the trick of por
traying such things | cannot for the life Of
Inc remember 10 this day who it was that
rescued the frying pan full of popcorn from
the fire. | do not know how come the
fiddle bridge down, and several strands
of hair broken in the bow. | know that
after all was over we began to realize
that Little Dick had grown wonderfully
tall He had added nearly a half foot to
his stature, and his fuzzy beard had devel-
oped into nice brown beard He had been
in northern prison and in Federal hos
pital and he had walked the streets of many
northern city, and he had long, long
story to tell But he had come back Aunt
Nina seemed to have grown ten years
younger. Grass grew on the graves of her
other boys and she cherished their memory,
but the living presence of her baby boy
strengthened and comforted her.
And now, | am going to tell you cOnfiden-
italy, that this story is every word true.
could carry you to big lumber mill ON the
line of a southern railroad, and / could show
you the superintendent, who walks with
limp; that is Mack. | could carry You to
quiet home where a sweet faced woman, an
ancient dame and maiden lady divide the
honor of ruling over the realm of the house
hold Children frOlic about tine premises.
One of these women Is Mrs. LOrng Jr and
one is Aunt Nina and one is Betty Down
at the office could point out to You a thrifty,
active looking business man, the owner of the
mill, and that is Little Dick Montgomery
n Folsom il Atlanta Constitution